Foreign Residents to Compete in Korean Writing at Yonsei University as ‘Gagyanal’ Marks Its 100th Anniversary

[Financial News] A large-scale writing festival will be held for foreign residents in Korea to express their thoughts and experiences in Korean and compete in their writing skills.
Yonsei University Korean Language Institute announced on the 15th that it will hold the 32nd Foreigners’ Hangul Writing Contest on October 7 in the institute’s main auditorium at Yonsei University.
The Foreigners’ Hangul Writing Contest was first launched in 1992 to promote the excellence of Hangul and support writing activities among foreigners learning Korean. Over the past 34 years, approximately 40,000 foreigners and overseas Koreans from around 100 countries have taken part, establishing the event as a leading venue for understanding and exchanging different cultures.
The competition is open not only to international students enrolled at Korean universities but also to any foreign resident in Korea, including foreign workers and marriage migrants from multicultural families. Participants will complete their own Korean-language essays on a topic announced on the day of the event.
This year’s event carries added significance as it marks the 100th anniversary of the first designation of Gagyanal, the predecessor of Hangul Day, in 1926 during the Japanese colonial period, as well as the 580th anniversary of the promulgation of Hunminjeongeum. To commemorate the meaningful year, Amorepacific, the Lee Hee-geon Korea-Japan Exchange Foundation, Yang Won Sun Foundation, Kyobo Book Centre, the Society for the Commemoration of King Sejong the Great, and the Oesol Society are sponsoring the event.
Following the judging, a total of 68 people—including one recipient of the Grand Prize, the President’s Award, and four Gold Prize winners—will receive certificates, prize money, and trophies. The awards ceremony is scheduled to take place on the 28th of next month in the main auditorium of the Korean Language Institute. Last year’s 31st competition drew approximately 1,370 participants from 76 countries, who competed enthusiastically.
Yonsei University Korean Language Institute, which organizes the competition, is a leading institution that has provided specialized education in the Korean language and culture to foreigners and overseas Koreans since opening its doors in 1959.

[email protected] Kim Man-gi Reporter